Update: it’s a very close call at the moment. Actually, one vote could change the results. So I encourage everyone who hasn’t voted yet to vote! I will announce the winner tomorrow!

This is probably not Emperor Palpatine’s favorite lightsaber duel

So here is how this poll works. I will give you a list of most (not all) lightsaber duels in the entire Star Wars saga. And by lightsaber duel I mean lightsaber vs lightsaber action, not lightsaber vs blasters or lightsaber vs pole axes.

Please pick your top three (that is 3, not 2 not 4, and most certainly not 5. 1 is too few, so really, 3 is just the right number) duels from the ones I will list below. I will count all your votes and in a follow up article we will find out what your all time favorite Star Wars lightsaber on lightsaber duel is!

The duels are listed chronologically, beginning with The Phantom Menace.

1. Qui-Gon Jinn & Obi-Wan Kenobi vs Darth Maul (TPM)

For the first time ever we got to see a double-bladed lightsaber. And for the first time ever we had a 2 vs 1 duel. And we got Duel of the Fates, probably one of the best pieces of Star Wars music written by John Williams. This duel ended not with a severed limb but rather full on lower body amputation, but it was just a flesh wound and Maul got better, no worries!

2. Anakin Skywalker & Obi-Wan Kenobi vs Count Dooku (AOTC)

For the first time ever we had a Jedi wield double lightsabers, if only for a short while. We also got a severed limb and a lesson in some humility for Anakin. If only he hadn’t been such a slow learner things might have turned out quite differently later.

3. Yoda vs Count Dooku (AOTC)

Yoda had probably too much caffeine intake on that day. This duel was somewhat of a surprise perhaps, since Yoda had always been depicted as that very old Jedi who needs a walking stick.

4. Anakin Skywalker & Obi-Wan Kenobi vs Count Dooku (ROTS)

This rematch ended not so well for Count Dooku. Two severed hands, one full body amputation, just below the neck. He didn’t survive that for some reason.

5. Obi-Wan Kenobi vs General Grievous (ROTS)

And once more the prequels offered us something new. For the first time a Jedi dueled a non force sensitive enemy. The duel ended in a most uncivilized fashion and with several severed (artificial) limbs.

6. Mace Windu vs. Emperor Palpatine (ROTS)

If only Anakin had given this some more thought… Mace Windu actually defeated Palpatine but was betrayed by Anakin. This duel ended with a severe case of defenestration and of course a limb was also lost along the way.

7. Obi-Wan Kenobi vs Darth Vader (ROTS)

The prequel trilogy culminated in a 3 hour lightsaber duel on Mustafar when newly baptized Darth Vader learned all about the advantages of having the high ground from his former master and teacher Obi-Wan. The duel ended with severe burns and several lost limbs.

8. Yoda vs Emperor Palpatine (ROTS)

Revenge of the Sith holds the record for the most lightsaber duels in a Star Wars movie. There were five of them. While Obi-Wan held a lecture about having the high ground on Mustafar, Yoda once more probably had too much coffee and battled Palpatine. This duel ended with several broken pieces of furniture and a Yoda who decided it’s time to swear off coffee forever.

9. Obi-Wan Kenobi vs Darth Vader (ANH)

The grandfather of all lightsaber duels! The very first lightsaber duel to ever grace the silver screen. Things were quite slow and well-measured back then. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader finally had their rematch (only that we didn’t know about that back then) and Obi-Wan pulled off his great Jedi vanishing trick that left behind a somewhat confused Darth Vader. Technically this was a win for Obi-Wan. Ok, let’s call it a draw!

10. Luke Skywalker vs Darth Vader (ESB)

Father meets son. Only we didn’t know it yet. Luke tried to defeat the evil guy who killed his father, but learned some surprising things that day. Also, he lost a limb. But Luke survived to fight yet another day. A severed limb is little more than a scratch or bruise in the Star Wars Galaxy!

11. Luke Skywalker vs Darth Vader (ROTJ)

The ultimate rematch. Luke Skywalker vs his father, Darth Vader. Luke tried to save his father and bring him back into the light. To do so Luke had to cut off Vader’s right hand and suffer some electrocution by the Emperor. It worked. Anakin Skywalker was redeemed, the Emperor was dead, Luke a true Jedi Master who would most certainly do great things in the years to come, rebuild the lost Jedi order and gather many force sensitive students around him to bring everlasting peace to the galaxy.

12. Rey vs Kylo Ren aka Ben Solo (TFA)

Rey, a nobody from some desert planet, battles this person called Kylo Ren she met the other day, because he killed someone she met 24 hours earlier. Also, Kylo tortured Rey a bit which probably didn’t improve her opinion of him. This duel ended with a win on points and technical KO for Rey, who held an ignited lightsaber for the first time ever on that day. No limbs were lost. But a fancy scar was left behind.

13. Luke Skywalker (kind of) vs Kylo Ren (TLJ)

It needed the genius of Rian Johnson to give us the first subverted lightsaber duel in the history of Star Wars. Not only was one of the lightsabers an illusion, so was one of the fighters in a duel which promised to be epic. Instead it was all a mirage, a projection. No limbs were lost, in the case of Kylo Ren only some dignity. That guy simply can’t win any lightsaber duels. Oh, and Luke died on his way back to his home planet.

So, these are the 13 duels. I left out the first encounter between Qui-Gon and Darth Maul on Tatooine, since it was so short and hardly relevant. And before you ask, the fight vs the Praetorian guards was not a lightsaber duel, it was a fight in which lightsabers were used.

Now it’s up to you! What are your three favorite duels? Please list them in the comments below! You may discuss things too, but remember, we will have a follow-up article later this week in which I will reveal your top three picks and where we can all celebrate and discuss the lightsaber duels!

And to give you an example of how to rank the duels here’s my list:

Obi-Wan Kenobi vs Darth Vader (ROTS)

Qui-Gon Jinn & Obi-Wan Kenobi vs Darth Maul (TPM)

Luke Skywalker vs Darth Vader (ESB)

Please list the fighters and the movie! Anyone posting a duel that is not listed (from some animated shows or games) will get a visit by a murder of Porgs!